Stefanski defended using an uncomfortable dining chair at his desk after being razzed on ESPN.

Prospects weren’t boated past the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas after their names were called. But the NFL’s virtual draft that concluded Saturday provided not only a welcome diversion for sports fans during the coronavirus pandemic, but pulled back the curtain on a league that goes out of its way to maintain appearances and cloak its humanity.

The star of the draft was Bill Belichick’s dog Nike, perched in front of one of two laptops at the New England Patriots’ coach’s Nantucket home.

While New Englanders may be checking the cost of an Alaskan Klee Kai puppy, there were many more visuals and nuggets to savor.

The joyous celebration of Antoine Winfield Jr.’s family after the Minnesota safety learned he’d be playing with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.

The Vrabels. (YouTube, ‘nuf said.)

From the #PatsDraft room to your room.

The new video chat background you didn't know you needed. pic.twitter.com/aGV940aTdB

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 27, 2020

Browns fans and media didn’t glean any personal nuggets about General Manager Andrew Berry, overseeing the draft in Cleveland while his family remains in Philadelphia. Berry remained his measured, close-to-the-vest self.

But the remote format proved much better than expected. The Browns’ public relations staff performed masterfully in managing video conferences. On Saturday night, there was a feeling on both sides that one part of the COVID-19 social distancing measures could have shelf life beyond the crisis. Zoom calls with the seven draft choices gave more context to the new Browns’ answers and better insight into their emotions after being selected.

Delpit was the most pumped, unabashedly honest and excited. When asked by Ulrich whether playing through a high ankle sprain last season affected his tackling, Delpit said, “I’m so tired of hearing that I can’t tackle, I might tackle you for asking that question.”

The answer went viral, but without the video it would have been tough to pick up the playfulness of Delpit’s response.

Stefanski seemed to enjoy the interaction even though he was working from a disheveled house as his wife and three children prepare to move to Northeast Ohio from the Minneapolis area.

“My back’s fine. Luckily, I have those guys on mute,” Stefanski said of ESPN’s dig about his chair. “If you took this virtual background off, you’d see lots of boxes in this house. I apologize if I don’t have all the décor as some others do.”

“Can you explain ShoeFiend first?” he asked. I told him I thought I’d only be using Zoom for conversations with friends, not work, and when I set up my account there were security concerns.

On Saturday morning I counted 115 pairs of shoes and boots in my walk-in closet, most in the original boxes, and Stefanski agreed the moniker fit.

War Room 2.0 pic.twitter.com/aCh3GYPVCG

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 24, 2020

For the media, there were adjustments. One veteran beat writer had to figure out how to activate the audio for his questions, another discovered the Zoom phone app. Many learned how to turn off the video when not in use. Rather than dress up for a post-day one video analysis, I put on my best hoodie from Vail, Colorado. But the conferences were amazingly smooth and glitch-free.

The lack of driving 35 minutes each way to Berea didn’t minimize the exhaustion Ulrich felt afterward. Part of that may have been a result of earlier deadlines, moved up before the coronavirus. He missed a Browns’ scout’s video conference when his eldest daughter needed him after his wife left to run an errand. By 10 p.m. on Saturday, my mind was so fogged I couldn’t find a story I was ready to update in our computer system.

Fatigue may have been exacerbated by the stress of the coronavirus stay-at-home order. All hope that the 2021 NFL Draft, slated to be held in Cleveland, operates under more normal conditions, even as normal is being redefined by the pandemic.

But after three long days, many came away thankful that Belichick’s dog, the Vrabels’ antics and Delpit’s virtual tackle provided a welcome respite from the storm.

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/browns. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

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